


Jack-in-the-Green

by FoxRafer



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-16
Updated: 2008-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-22 07:11:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/235262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxRafer/pseuds/FoxRafer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The wonder of nature enters Viggo's life</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jack-in-the-Green

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ribby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ribby/gifts).



> Written for [**ribby**](http://ribby.livejournal.com/) for the [**sons_of_gondor**](http://sons_of_gondor.livejournal.com/) Trick or Treat Exchange.

The computer screen stared blankly at him, white and mockingly empty. He had tried for hours to begin the shipping report, but motivation was not to be found. It was becoming harder and harder for Viggo to even want to write anything, let alone his current assignment. He imagined how reporters before the degeneration would have gathered information; heading to the local port, talking to the crews and dock workers, being swept away by the constant parade of tanker and sail, riverboat and ferry, fishing craft and freighter.

Viggo sighed and looked out his window to the expanse of wasteland outside. Years ago man had finally succeeded in destroying the world. Whatever wasn't concrete or steel was dull gray soil, loose and dry, wispy streams blowing in the corrosive wind. Now a strange sludge and hardened mud turned almost to stone were all that remained of the water ways. Earth was now totally uninhabitable, the only means of survival airtight buildings and sealed transport and full body EAP suits. It was all he had ever known.

He had been given the shipping news "desk" a year or two ago. The work was steady but took up little of his time. Sorting through comm linked itineraries and cargo loads for this sector took a couple of hours max. At first Viggo tried to write something interesting in each report, make it into more of an essay or editorial than the straight recitation of information. But soon he realized that no one cared either way; people didn't read his column, not even the editor, so why waste more time on it than was necessary.

Initially he felt restless and out of sorts, his job usually done by ten in the morning and nothing else substantive to occupy his time. Then he remembered the old crate his mother had left him from his grandfather. It took him an hour or so to find and drag it down from his over-stuffed storage locker on the building's top floor. Another couple of hours to get it open, the key long since lost and brute force not something he was accustomed to. But the moment the lid had been pried off, Viggo's life changed forever. For the crate was packed with books, real books from the old days, made of paper, leather and cloth, some so old the pages threatened to disintegrate in his hands. He marveled at the weight, reveled in the musty smell, was intrigued at the feel of the materials. It was all new and incredibly interesting.

From that day on it was a struggle to get his reports in by noon, his mind kept wandering to the latest book he was reading, or wondering what the next one would bring. He started writing notes about his discoveries, his thoughts and feelings about the fiction or his observations about the histories and biographies. He found his mind tickled by this new stimulus, thinking of plots of stories he'd like to write, eventually finding he couldn't resist the pull to type up some of the ideas.

Then a month ago he found his grandfather's journal. His grandfather wrote of a world full of color and life. Through pages and pages of sketches and notes he had tried to remember the world of his childhood, to document it for his children so it wouldn't be lost forever. Inside Viggo discovered a land that had been stolen from him long ago and he forgot about freight and carrier ships. He spent hours on his PD monitor, mixing pixels of color and virtual charcoal trying to recreate the world his grandfather both honored and mourned.

He'd almost finished the park across the street, giving life to a small haven in the midst of a quickly growing city. Trees with full boughs, wooded paths leading to quiet picnic areas, a playground filled with the gaiety of children. Viggo had been working on the drawing for days but felt compelled to finish that night. He worked late into the evening, slumped over his keyboard, driven by the need to complete the scene. As the night grew deep, resting his eyes for only a minute turned into a heavy head falling forward, body slack in a fitful sleep.

# # #

Viggo's body ached when he woke, his neck painfully stiff and his hands frozen cold. With effort he got to his feet and walked in a small circle, shaking off pinpricks of sleep and rubbing life into sore limbs. Feeling more himself, he turned back toward his desk. The screen was empty. All the work he had done, even the original drawing he had saved the day before, nothing was there. He ran several searches, checked hidden folders he couldn't imagine having used, but found nothing.

"Shit!" he yelled, picking up a mug from the desk and throwing it at the window. "That would have been a whole lot more satisfying if the glass could have shattered," he muttered, rubbing his hands violently across his face then getting up to walk away from the machine.

"I can't believe you lost it all, you stupid ..." Viggo stopped abruptly. Through the window shade he had caught a glimpse of something completely impossible. Walking over he raised the covering and almost stumbled back in surprise. Across the street, in what had been a bleak empty lot between more rows of buildings, was the park he had been drawing. Every detail as his grandfather had described and sketched, as he had tried to recreate, everything he had been working on had come to life before his eyes.

Viggo's mouth worked noiselessly, his brain seemed to spin and twirl inside his head. This couldn't be happening, and yet he wasn't dreaming and he couldn't deny what he was seeing. _This must be what it's like to go crazy,_ he thought, still gaping out the window. Finally he managed to shake some of the shock off and began to really look at the scene. It wasn't exactly identical to his drawing but very close. Here and there colors were slightly different and it seemed bigger than what he had imagined. He looked around the street and various vehicles were going past as usual, but no one seemed to take any notice of the park that had appeared out of the blue overnight.

"Clearly it's my own personal hallucination," he murmured. He closed the window covering, counted to ten, then raised it again. The park was still there. "Well, then, let's see if this holds up under a closer inspection."

Viggo grabbed his key and slid it into his shirt pocket. With one final look around he walked out the door and headed down to the front door. He punched in his code and waited for the all clear that the air inside was clean before entering the outer vestibule. His EAP suit hung in its place among those of the other building residents. He unlocked it from the wall and carefully put it on, double-checking each seal and fastening then checking again for good measure. It had been a long time since he walked out of his building. Normally he went downstairs to his shuttle if he was leaving the house, but driving around the corner would be silly.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he entered the outer door code then stepped out onto the street. It took a few moments to get used to walking in the awkward outfit but soon he was heading down the street and around the corner. And there, between the buildings that had stood there since the day he was born, was this new green vision. Crossing the street, he walked the final few yards and then stood in front of it, staring in awe. It was impossibly real but he couldn't bring himself to take another step forward.

"Hello."

Viggo jumped for seemingly out of nowhere there was now a man inside the park. He was of similar height and build, slightly ruffled blond hair and an amused expression on his face. He was dressed quite normally although his clothing was dated and his feet were bare. Viggo found himself fascinated by how they sank into the rich blades of grass.

"It feels wonderful. Want to give it a try?" the man continued, wiggling his toes. Viggo raised his head to meet eyes dancing with humor and a smile that stole his breath.

"How ... ... What is ... ... Who are ..." Viggo stammered, unable to collect his thoughts.

"I'll answer all the questions you have but please come into the park first. Keeping the communication open between us is very tiring."

"So you're in a different world?"

"Please, come inside."

"Fuck that. I don't even know what's going on here."

"How could it be more dangerous than where you live? If you didn't have that suit on you'd soon suffocate, your skin would begin to slowly burn. You might get back to your home before passing out but you probably wouldn't survive, even if you got medical attention."

"But what is this?" Viggo asked, gesturing toward the park. "How can it exist?"

Sean huffed out a breath and looked up in thought. He ran a hand through his hair then sighed. "The only way I know to describe it is a pocket of my reality laid on top of yours."

Viggo looked back toward his bleak building, the rows of hermetically sealed windows gaping at him from dismal concrete. All around him was the dull, deadly gray he had known all his life except for this extraordinary patch of land before him. Vibrant, lush and alive. And utterly impossible.

"Can I get back?"

"Get back home?" the man asked.

"Yes. If I step through to your world can I get back to mine?"

There was that dazzling smile again and Viggo found himself drawn forward despite his reservations.

"Of course," the stranger laughed. "As long as it's here you can come and go as often as you like."

Viggo glanced again at the row of apartments then back to what felt like an odd mix of mirage and time warp. Carefully and ever so slowly he moved forward, inching into what once was a vacant gray lot and now seemed to be teeming with life. When he'd think about it later that night, he didn't remember having to push through anything to get in. One minute he was standing on concrete, the next he was standing on grass. He looked up to see a pale blue sky and a loose patchwork of white clouds floating past. To his left was the playground from his drawing, brightly colored metal on a sea of light brown sand. To his right the tree line began, with rows of trees of dark green foliage stretching back into the park surrounding a wide expanse of grass in front of him. In the center of the circular green sat a bubbling fountain of clear water, an exact replica of what he had drawn from his grandfather's sketch.

Turning around Viggo looked behind him and saw the same monochromatic street he had seen every day of his life but from in here **it** looked like the mirage, like the impossibility. He stepped back onto the street and everything was still in its place. He took a couple of steps and put his hand on the light post, looked up at the sky and saw the same dark miasma, walked to the corner and saw the entrance to his building still there waiting for him. Finally he returned to the park and stepped in, once more facing the strange man who seemed to live in this waking dream.

"Satisfied?" the man asked, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

"Who are you?"

"It's ok to remove your gear. You don't need it here."

"Who are you?"

Sean glared at Viggo's tone before answering. "I am the Green Man."

"The Green Man?"

"Some call me Jack-in-the-Green."

"So your name is Jack."

"My name is Sean."

He smiled at Viggo's confused expression and continued.

"He dances the Moon with power and grace  
Amidst the hills and trees, in His sacred space  
A dancer moving swiftly between the realms  
There in the leaves ... what do you see?  
If you honor the Old Ways - it may be He."*

As he finished Sean noticed a faint smile on Viggo's face and his stance less guarded.

"Please take off that costume."

"I can't. The atmosphere."

"And the earth can no longer sustain life, there are no trees or oceans. Yet ..." he gestured around them and smiled. "I promise you'll be fine and it'll be so much nicer talking to you face to face."

Viggo stared at the stranger for a few moments, but despite the oddness of the last few minutes he found himself trusting Sean. Although he was unlike anyone he had ever met, and having magically created a pocket of the past right in front of his home, there didn't appear to be anything malevolent or deceitful about him. If anything he seemed more open than most people Viggo knew.

 _Then again, evil can appear in many forms,_ a little voice in his head chided.

But still, Viggo found himself slowly unfastening the seals of his suit and gradually peeling himself out of it. Almost instantly he felt the sun - _the sun!_ \- bearing down on him. As he removed the helmet, despite already being fully exposed he found he was trying not to breathe. Tentatively he exhaled then drew in a shallow breath. The air tasted more pure than that in his home. He took a deep breath through his nose and spontaneously began to laugh in delight. The smells were astounding, overwhelming in a good way. He didn't know what any of the scents were and had no words to describe them. But they filled him with a joy he had never known.

Sean watched, joining in Viggo's laughter. _He's even more special than I imagined,_ he said to himself.

"Amazing. Absolutely incredible!" Viggo shouted, and ran toward the fountain. He stopped at the edge and looked back toward Sean.

"Nothing here will harm you. Go ahead."

Viggo gave him a wide smile then dipped his hands in the water. He stared at them under the surface, watching the refracted light and the reflection of the sky above. Cupping his hands he drew them out and drank.

"Delicious," he giggled, getting another handful. "Cool. Clean. Refreshing. Oh my god." He submerged his head, and after a few seconds pulled out and flopped down on the ground, digging his fingers into the grass and dirt. "I don't know how this is here but right now I don't care."

Sean sat down beside him and plucked a blade of grass. "Here, listen to this." He placed the blade between his thumbs, raised his hands to his mouth and blew through them creating a high-pitched whistle.

Viggo sat up at once. "Show me," he said, grabbing his own blade. Sean moved closer and helped him with the mechanics. After several attempts Viggo finally got a squeak and dissolved into another fit of giggles.

"I feel like I'm about 10 years old," he laughed, catching his breath.

"What did you do for fun when you were a child?" Sean asked, against his will finding himself increasingly fascinated by this man.

"Well, not play in the grass, that's for sure," Viggo replied, but thinking about his childhood made him remember the oddness of where he was and what he was doing.

"So you're a Green Man."

 _You should have known that would break the mood_ Sean berated himself before speaking. "There was a time when we were celebrated for renewal, the coming of spring resulting in the bounty of fall. Sculptures and paintings, rituals and festivals were made in our honor."

As he spoke, images floated through Viggo's mind. He saw a wide collection of stone heads mounted on walls, the faces at times grotesque, at other times beautiful, leaves curling over and around forming the features. Of people wearing leafy masks draped in vines dressed all in green. Of festivals of rebirth, people building green bowers and dancing around maypoles.

"But you don't look like a man made of leaves," Viggo interrupted. "When you're home do you turn all green and leafy?"

"No, we used to put on a bit of show in the old days. You know. Sometimes let people see us like we just came to life out of a tree, create a bit of legend and lore. It were fun."

"And why do you talk like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you come from somewhere in England, northern parts if I'm not mistaken."

Viggo was already finding Sean's laugh infectious and this time was no exception.

"I don't know. I spent some time in Sheffield a while back, in this form living with your people. I guess it kind of stuck."

"Well, it suits you."

Sean bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."

"So I imagine after we started making a mess of things you gave up on us."

"I wouldn't put it like that. It's more that we began to fade. And now, well things have gone too far for us to repair."

Viggo laid back in the grass, soaking up the warmth of the sun. "How long will all this last?"

"I'm not sure, really. For several of your days."

"So I can come back?"

"Yes, as often as you like."

# # #

The next day Viggo hurried to compile and send in his assignment, then grabbed his grandfather's journal and the portable display device with the notes he had made last night and headed out the door for the beautiful haven that had wondrously appeared yesterday. He didn't immediately see Sean as he walked through the seamless barrier into the bright sunshine and began the long and laborious process of stripping out of his suit. Just as he was finally free of the protective gear, Sean appeared from behind the trees.

"Hello again." Sean was dressed much the same as the day before, except he seemed less tired and drawn at the eyes. Yesterday Viggo had noticed how attractive he was, but now with the surprise of this place slightly lessened he could fully appreciate it.

"Hi," he replied, walking over to meet him. "I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to coming back."

Sean's eyes lit up. He had expected Viggo to come back, but seeing his delight and how at ease he seemed in this place filled him with a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Did you bring me a present, Viggo?" Sean joked, gesturing at the book in Viggo's hand, and was rewarded with a toothy grin.

"I brought some information I found in the archives about the Green Man and my grandfather's journal. I thought I could ask you a few questions if that's ok."

"Ask away."

"Can we walk further into the park? I had drawn a picnic area under the trees and I was hoping ..."

"It's there. Everything you thought of is there."

They turned around and began walking into the woods toward the picnic bench but Viggo stopped short.

"How do you know my name?"

"I just do."

Viggo looked at him for a few moments, torn between finding that mischievous grin annoying or appealing, and then continued walking further into the park.

"I found a few things in the ancient records about the Green Man. Mostly poems and songs and descriptions of springtime ceremonies."

"And what do you think?"

"I still don't understand how any of that explains what's happening here."

"It doesn't."

Viggo stared at Sean, waiting for him to continue, and then both slowly began to smile when it was clear nothing more was going to be said.

"You're gonna make me work for it, huh?"

"Ask me what you want to know and I'll answer as best I can."

"Right."

They walked in silence for several yards, Viggo looking all around him taking in all he could see under the trees and Sean providing the names for everything Viggo didn't know. When they reached the picnic area they stopped and sat down across from each other, spending the next several hours going through his grandfather's journal page by page, Viggo reading the entries and showing the sketches, Sean correcting things where the memory wasn't accurate. He tried to describe what this area used to look like before it began to die, and showed images in Viggo's mind of the town from before his grandfather was even alive, paying particular attention to the port and the ships that used to dock there.

Viggo read a couple of the poems he had found and then played a generations-old song.** Sean seemed to find all of it very funny and entertaining and Viggo tried hard to memorize the transformation of his face when he laughed. Sean noticed how much Viggo was staring, recognized the look in his eyes, and looked away. He knew he would be playing with fire bringing this man here. He had been drawn to him the moment he'd been aware of him, and he knew it could cause problems for both of them. He stood and walked away, leaning back against a nearby tree.

Viggo watched Sean move away and wondered at the sudden change in his mood. But there were many mysteries about this man and that was a small one.

"No one else has been here, have they?" he asked

"No," Sean replied, still slightly distracted.

"Why?"

"There aren't many of us left. And those that are have other worlds to maintain. And frankly, we gave up on your planet long ago."

"Gave up on ... oh no, I mean my neighbors, the government, someone."

"Oh," Sean responded, still only half listening. "This is only for you."

"Excuse me?"

"All of this, it's only for you. Nobody else can see it. To them it's just a big heap of gray dust."

"How is that possible?"

"I willed it so."

"Why?

"Because you gave me hope that one person in this god forsaken place still wants to remember. Because you appreciate it and even though you've never known it, you missed it."

Sean's words surprised them both. Sean kept his eyes on the ground to try and mask his embarrassment. Viggo was so touched he could barely speak.

"I don't know what to say to that. Thank you seems really inadequate."

Sean merely nodded.

"So the rest of your kind, do they approve of what you've done?"

"I wouldn't say approve. A few spoke out against my idea but I was completely within my rights to do it."

Viggo smiled at the slight rebellious tone in Sean's voice.

"Well, would it be against the rules to create something to eat? I'm starving."

"The only things here are what you dreamed up so you can blame yourself for that," Sean chuckled.

"Fine, fine, tomorrow I'll bring a supplement. For now let's go get a drink of water and continue exploring the park."

# # #

For the next several days Viggo and Sean spent walking and talking in the park. Their conversation quickly turned from informative Q&As to talking about themselves and sharing their lives, and Viggo realized that Sean had become very important to him. Often he thought he saw a reciprocal look in Sean's eyes but each time Sean would pull back and Viggo wasn't sure what to do.

He had already realized that if he wanted Sean in his life it would likely mean going wherever Sean really existed, but he didn't know if that was even possible, or if Sean would even want him there. He always had to remind himself that Sean wasn't human, and despite receiving the occasional signal that his feelings were returned, Viggo didn't know if his kind would even want to get involved. Yet something told him that even if it wasn't accepted behavior, Sean was inclined to break with tradition. But how to bring up the subject was a puzzle he didn't know how to solve.

They were sitting back at the picnic bench, and had been silent for several minutes just listening to the sounds all around them. Sean had never felt more at peace than he did here, and that was all because of Viggo. Falling in love wasn't supposed to be part of the plan, but if he were honest with himself he had done all of this because he had fallen for this man the first day he "met" him. Now Viggo was looking at him, staring hard into his eyes and Sean tried but was unable to look away.

"I can ask you anything, right?" Viggo asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes."

"You've shown me this, told me these things, so I can help. So I can try and reverse ..." Viggo trailed off. Sean looked unhappy and ill at ease, and seemed to be having a hard time looking him in the eye.

"Ok, that's a no then. So why have you done this?"

"I did it for you. And for me."

"I don't understand."

"There's no hope for this planet, Viggo. It's dead and sullied. It would take an army of my kind to try and turn around what your people have contaminated. This park was just a small gift, a thank you to someone who still wished for the beauty to return to his land." Sean dropped his eyes back to the table. "I wish I could give you something permanent."

Viggo watched Sean's obvious struggle and the sudden realization that all this was about to end hit him in the gut like a fist. How was he supposed to go back to his old life without Sean or this refuge in it?

"Time is nearly up, isn't it?"

Sean didn't reply, but now looked away, further into the woods.

"You're going to leave me."

"Yes."

"And this will go with you."

"I'm sorry, Viggo," Sean lamented. "I can't keep it going forever. I shouldn't have left it for so long." He sighed and looked back into Viggo's eyes. "It taxes me, and you ..." Sean cleared his throat. "And you distract me. Already I've almost let other duties slip. There are other planets that still value nature, that still need my care. I cannot sustain this forever and still see to my responsibilities."

Everything seemed to grow quiet around them. The world narrowed to the two of them, eyes locked, both desperately wanting to reach out but too scared to do so.

"You could come with me." Sean spoke so quietly Viggo almost didn't hear him. His heart leapt that Sean had raised the subject on his own, but still needed his fears of what would await him there laid to rest.

"Go with you and likely be shunned. 'See the creature that killed his planet.'"

"No, come with me and be my ..."

Viggo looked up at Sean's pause. Once again he saw the struggle of emotions pass across Sean's face. It seemed that several minutes passed before he regained his composure, straightening his back and pulling himself both physically and emotionally away.

"You wouldn't be ridiculed or come to any harm. I would see to that. Among my kind I am not without influence. And few would want to be on the wrong side of my ire."

"But what would I do there?"

"Anything you like. You could hike for days and live off the land. Swim in water so clear and blue you'd have to see it to believe it. Make real paints from plants and oils and create works of art you can truly feel." Sean's voice had steadily risen as he tried to convince Viggo to come. "There are all kinds of plants there you've never seen, specimens beyond your wildest imaginations. On one sector there's a forest of grasses, the blades stretching twenty, thirty feet above your head. And the color of the sky; it's of the most remarkable blue. You fill your lungs and you feel as if you could fly. All the trees, flowers, herbs, anything you'd ever dream of seeing, everything we help sustain on other planets are all in my world, ready to be explored."

"If I came it wouldn't be for the plants or the sky."

Sean was surprised by the raw honesty in the statement. He licked his lips and stood up, suddenly feeling very vulnerable in front of Viggo. Carding a hand through his hair he began to back away then abruptly stopped and sat on the ground, looking up at Viggo over the table. Viggo stood and moved around to where he was, kneeling down in front of him.

"I wouldn't want to just run around in your gardens day in and day out. I'd want to be productive, to study, to do something. What could I do? Could I work? Could I help?"

Sean looked down, feeling like he was losing the argument. He'd hoped to be able to entice Viggo to come by appealing to his adventurous streak, his love of beauty and nature. But he understood what Viggo needed; hell he'd want to occupy his time with something productive too if their roles were reversed. And he couldn't ask him to give up his entire life, his entire world, just for him. All he knew was that he didn't want to lose Viggo now that he'd found him and the pain he felt seeing him slip away was worse than he imagined.

"Sean?"

Viggo had moved closer, surprising Sean out of his thoughts. He never knew humans could have such wise and beautiful eyes. As much as he tried to veil his feelings, he knew somehow that Viggo could sense them, could see right through him. For a second he thought about pulling Viggo to him and kissing the man he had fallen in love with, for a moment let himself imagine the rush of heat and the passionate response. Instead he regretfully looked away, even pushed himself back a little.

"Sorry," he stammered, "I was thinking."

"That's ok. I think your silence says it all." Viggo clenched his hands together, trying to hide his frustration. He had suspected that in going he'd have to discover another way to find purpose in his life, but he'd be willing to take the risk if he could trust that Sean wanted him. By now he was almost sure this Green Man had feelings for him too, but if he wasn't willing to express them here what chance did he have once they were around his own kind and any pressure they might put on him not to get involved with a human?

"Earlier you said you had done all this for me _and_ for you. What did you mean by that."

"I told you."

"No, you told me why you did it for me. Why was this for you?"

Sean paused for a moment, trying to decide how much he wanted to give away. "You intrigued me. I felt you for years, could sense your unhappiness with how things were. And then you started sketching a world you never knew and I started watching you more."

"Watching me?"

"Not like you're thinking, more like keeping you in my conscience, letting myself be aware of you."

"You never actually looked at me?" Viggo's tone was light but his face was an open challenge.

Sean chuckled, and Viggo could swear he saw a tinge of pink creep up his cheeks. "Well, sometimes I'd take a peek." Then realizing what that sounded like Sean hurried on. "But never when you were, you know ... I didn't spy on you when you were ..." Viggo began to laugh.

"It doesn't matter, especially not now."

Sean grumbled a little and flopped down on his back. Viggo slid closer to him and lay down on his stomach, propped up on his elbows so he could look at Sean's face.

"So you could see what I was thinking kind of, get an idea about how I was feeling?"

"Aye."

"Do it now."

"What?"

"You have my permission to tap into my inner whatever and see what I'm thinking right now."

"It's not really like that. And even it were, why would I? I've met you. I can talk to you."

"But you're not telling me what I want to hear and maybe that's because you're unsure what's in my head." Viggo sat back up, restlessness and anxiety forcing him to keep moving. "I know I haven't come right out and said anything to you either, but I know I've come a hell of a lot closer than you. And honestly since I'm the one considering giving up everything I've ever known I don't think it's a lot to ask for you to be the first person to come right out and say what you're feeling. So fucking tell me, Sean."

"What do you want to hear?"

"Why you did all of this. The real reason, not your rehearsed answer."

Sean began to speak then stopped, catching the intense look in Viggo's eyes. He recognized the truth in Viggo's words. Why should he risk everything for someone who didn't have the courage to be completely honest with him? Sean pushed up to sit next to him and reached over to wrap his hand behind the man's neck. "The moment I became aware of you I couldn't stop thinking about you. And now that I've gotten to know you I've fallen in love. I can't ask you to give everything up for me, but if you came to my world I promise I would do everything in my power to make you happy and content."

Viggo's smile melted the last of his restraint. Sean pulled him forward into an ardent kiss. Soft at first, then gradually deepening, both men falling into each other, grasping with hungry hands, holding tight with loving arms.

# # #

"It's getting late." Sean shifted slightly, kissing Viggo gently on the temple. They had been lying together under a large tree for some time, both loathe to let go and face tough decisions.

"You'll never die, will you?" Viggo asked, holding Sean tighter.

"No."

"And you don't age."

"Not as you would define it, no."

"I would, though. I would grow old and die."

"Yes, but slower than you might expect."

"So time is different."

"I don't know how to explain it so that you'd understand. You will eventually grow old and die, but by my estimation several generations would have passed on this planet before that day came."

"Several generations."

"And no one like you has come to live with us before. Some of my kind believe you may not age at all, that you would stay as you are for the rest of your days."

"How?"

"I don't know. I don't know what would happen. I do know that being there won't be detrimental to you, it won't hurt you. But what will happen in the future is no more than an educated guess."

"Right."

They lay for a few more minutes before Sean interrupted their peace once more.

"I can only stay another day, Viggo."

"I need to go home, tie up a couple of loose ends, bring a few things."

"Does that mean ..."

"I can bring some things with me, can't I? Not a lot, just a few books and a couple of personal tokens. Is that possible?"

"Yes," Sean exclaimed, sitting up in his excitement, pulling Viggo with him. "Yes, absolutely."

"Alright then. Give me a couple of hours and we can hit the road."

Sean wrapped his arms around Viggo and held him close.

"You won't regret this. I promise you. And I'll do whatever I can to help you find some kind of work, something that ..."

"We'll figure it out together," Viggo interrupted, sealing the promise with another bruising kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> * I couldn't find an attribution for this. If anyone knows who might have written it, please let me know. It's on a couple of Web sites: [**Paganmen Green Man Essay**](http://www.paganmen.com/essays/greenman_factsheet.htm) and [**a bibliography**](http://www.egreenway.com/meditation/greenman.htm) from _The Green Man, Foliate Head_ by Michael P. Garofalo
> 
> ** Two of the things Viggo shared with Sean:
> 
> Jack-in-the-Green by Jethro Tull; click [**here**](http://www.absolutelyrics.com/lyrics/view/jethro_tull/jack-in-the-green/) for the lyrics and [**here**](http://www.mediafire.com/?nt4e3yjnhqz) to download the song.
> 
> Another unattributed poem about the Green Man (from [**Who is the Green Man**](http://www.btinternet.com/~breinton.morris/WhoistheGreenMan.htm))
> 
> I am born on May Morning - by sticks, bells, and ribbons
> 
> I am the sap - in the dark root  
> I am the dancer - with his six fools  
> I am the tump - behind the old church  
> I am the lost soul - under the misericord  
> I am the oak - against the stars
> 
> I am the face - that peers through the leaves  
> I am the fear - in a child's mind  
> I am the demon - on the roof-boss
> 
> I am killed in October - and laid on church altars
> 
> I am the guiser - on the bright bonfire  
> I am the old grain - sown with the seed  
> I am the flame - in the pumpkin's grin  
> I am the spirit - in the kern-baby's bosom.


End file.
